ender hands, never had her breath so perilously warmed
his face. For an hour she sat by him, perfunctorily bathing his wounds
with the white men's ointment and rubbing a yellow salve upon his face.
And while she did this, often, very often, she closed her eyes.
Sometimes her hands, as they passed over his forehead, absently
wandered to the couch, sometimes they soothed the air near the
suffering man. Then she would recall herself. Gazing upon Ootah, pity
would fill her; and then--well, then her mind would wander. She was
faint herself, tired and half-asleep.

Once, as she touched Ootah's hand, he closed it impulsively over hers.
Her heart gave a thud. Her eyelids quivered. A smile appeared on her
face. Ootah pressed her hand more firmly--he did not realize how
fiercely in his fever. His blood ran high; in a mingled delirium of
pain and transport he drew her slowly toward him. Her one hand soothed
his brow, softly, very gently. The smile on her face deepened. She
gasped with a throe of the old memories.

"Olafaksoah," she breathed, rapturously.

Ootah felt a horrible pain grip his heart. He opened his eyes, stark
conscious. He saw the eyes of Annadoah were closed. On her face he
observed the fond, far-away smile; he knew her heart was in the south.
And in that frightful moment his untutored mind by instinct realized
why she had bandaged and soothed him so tenderly, realized, indeed,
that in doing so, in his stead, her mind had conjured up the vision of
Olafaksoah. His hands were strong, she had said, they hurt her.
Ootah, with ferocity, gripped her little hand tighter.

"Olafaksoah," she murmured again, with delight--then, recalling
herself, suddenly uttered a sharp cry of dismay as she opened her eyes.

Ootah staggered to his feet. The utter tragedy of her devotion to the
man who had deserted her, the utter hopelessness of his own deep
passion blightingly, horribly forced itself upon him.

"Annadoah! Annadoah! Annadoah!" he wailed, his voice sobbing the
beloved name.

The igloo was stifling; he felt that he was suffocating. Everything
reeling about him, he crept painfully from the igloo into the night.
He felt he must be alone.

Outside the aurora was paling with intermittent cascades of resolving
lights. Over the snows glittering rosy fingers painted running rainbow
traceries. It seemed as though the spirit revellers were pouring fiery
jewels from the skies.

Ootah stood before that reve